The Sentinel Saga
by Jaide DM
Summary: Trunks foretold their arrival, prompting the Z Warriors to train themselves harder than ever. Months before the scheduled arrival of these androids, however, an alien craft lands on the earth. (Post Trunks Saga, Pre Android Saga.)
1. Best served cold

**Prologue: Best served cold**

* * *

As the sun rose, they fell from the sky. 

A faint breeze played through the branches of the trees, singing the sweet song of spring. That same wind slipped down to caress the cool green grass, turning the fields into an emerald ocean. The light of dawn peeked over the mountains, illuminating the plant life and providing it with the promise of a long day of warmth. Unfortunately for the grassy fields and tall trees, such a promise would be denied them. They explosion was incredible.

The impact seemed to freeze time, the metal sphere appearing to stop as soon as it touched the flowing grass, as though the earth might repel it back into the dreadful void of space. It didn't. The moment passed, and outward from the impact came a wave of destruction. The cool spring breeze transformed into a raging tempest in a split second, ripping the trees it once caressed from their roots and hurtling them hundreds of feet through the air. The grass soon followed, forced into the air from the upward flow of dirt and rocks. The entire valley was filled with dirt and dead plants, which flew outward as far as the impact compelled them, before falling back to the earth that had once birthed them.

For a long moment, all was quiet.

The metal orb rested snugly in its crater, tucked approximately one hundred meters into the earth. There was no movement in the valley for several minutes, at which time Mother Nature surely wept for the children she had lost that morning.

Then, just as the ascending sun touched the red insignia on the pod, it slowly opened.

* * *

Piccolo saw the meteor on his way through the city, gasping at the sound of the impact without even realizing it. He spun in mid flight, focusing his gaze on the growing plume of dust and debris that rose into the air. He had been taken completely by surprise, but began to fly toward the valley as fast as he could. It took only a few moments for him to leave the cities limits, at which time he found himself buffeted by the remains of the shockwave that had surely decimated the valley. It was hardly enough to even slow Piccolo down, though he noticed that the slowly deteriorating wave managed to flip a few cars that cruised on the highway below him. 

Ignoring the plight of a few motorists for a more direct danger, Piccolo flew on as fast as he could. The copse of trees and meadow was a good distance away from the city, far enough that it took him a few minutes of flight to reach his destination. He slowed immediately, swinging upright and dropping quickly to the earth. The long cloak behind him flared up as he fell, his feet finally touching the packed dirt with hardly a sound. What he saw shocked him into a state close to petrification. He was staring at a space pod, the likes of which he hadn't seen in several years. Leaping into the air, the Namekian warrior flew toward the craft, noticing with anxiously that the ship appeared to be sealed. He let out a quiet sigh of relief, hovering twenty feet from the pod. There was a chance that it was empty, deserted, with no danger of the men or monsters that might inhabit it. Slowly Piccolo drifted over to the craft, intending to take a quick look before he destroyed it with a well-placed blast of ki. Hopefully, that would exterminate any life form that might be in stasis within the pod.

As he neared the ship, he noticed an emblem on it that he had never seen before, though he knew that it didn't belong to Frieza, Cooler, or any of his minions. This added tenfold to his fear, for it meant that whoever had once piloted the craft could be the warriors that Trunks had spoken of, arriving months before they should have. He silently prayed that was not the case. It was then that Piccolo saw the opening on the other side of the ship, barely visible from where he floated. With a burst of speed and a fluttering cloak, he was around it, leaning into the opening. A quick glance confirmed his suspicions, only times two.

The ship was empty, and there were two seats back to back within it, not just one as he had expected. He leaned further in, scanning the craft quickly. It was dead and quiet, no thrum and hum of running machinery, which meant that it was either damaged or shut down, and the owners were already out in the world. But they couldn't have gone far, with the time it took for him to reach the crash site. Piccolo leapt up from the pod, drifting slowly into the air. He slowly lowered his energy level, just enough to sustain his position above the ground. He had hoped that the visitors hadn't sensed him, either by lack of skill or lack of equipment. He would prefer to have the element of surprise should the aliens be hostile. Piccolo found himself surprised instead.

"You." A cold, emotionless voice sounded from a distance behind him. "You killed my father."

Piccolo spun, relying on his speed to provide him with enough time to defend himself. The great Namekian warrior didn't even finish the rotation, when the entire world went black.

* * *

A/N

Author's Note: My first DBZ Story, and one I had in my mind for years. I have several good plot line ideas, and hopefully this can go well. I can't guarantee updates often, as I have so many other stories that need to be worked on. Let me know what you think of this opening prologue. I'll have the first chapter ready to go as soon as possible.


	2. Did you feel that?

**Chapter One: Did you feel that?**

* * *

Gohan was the first to notice the disturbance, his body jerking rigidly in the chair at his desk. The same motion caused him to break the pencil he had been writing with, and lose the page in his textbook. Gohan leapt up, the wooden chair flying backwards as he sprinted to the window of his bedroom. The young half-Saiyan threw the shudders open, leaning out into the cool morning. Gohan leaned as far out as he could, sweat forming on his brow as he strained to sense that mysterious anomaly again. An anomaly was the only word his mind could grasp for the burst of ki energy he had sensed. It was a familiar burst, but at the same time like nothing he had ever felt. It had no signature, no personality connected to the ki.

He'd never met anyone with no ki signature. The ki signature, even the faint one locked deep within normal humans, was different for every single creature. It was like the stripes on a tiger, identifying them to any who could sense the energy. This was usually easy for Gohan to sense, letting him keep a mental tab of his friends and enemies with his mind. So now he focused harder, spreading his spiritual awareness outward to find his family and friends. His mother was in the kitchen downstairs, most likely cooking breakfast. He sensed Krillin easily as well, as he was merely out in the front yard, leaning comfortably against a tree and reading peacefully. The man wasn't in his fighting uniform, instead wearing shorts and a button down shirt.

On a hunch, Gohan sought out Piccolo's signature. After a few seconds of concentration, he discovered that he couldn't feel it. The boy reeled at the implications of this, almost dropping to his knees. There were only two ways that a ki signature could be absent, as far as he knew. Either the person was not on this world, or he was not among the living. That alone was reason enough for Gohan to skip his studies for the morning, and leap out of the window. The young warrior fell quickly to the ground, keeping his power level down far enough to keep his mother from sensing his swift departure. A wrathful ChiChi could be more formidable than the most powerful aliens in the universe, and Gohan would rather not bring about such terror. He hit the ground and started running, intending to go right past Krillin and investigate the matter of Piccolo's disappearance himself. It wouldn't take long to get to the city, where Piccolo had been on business of his own.

"Gohan, what's up?" Krillin asked, setting aside his book and jumping up as the boy approached. Gohan decided that Krillin might be able to help, and slid to a stop.

"Did you feel that energy spike a minute ago?" Gohan asked quickly, his eyes darting in the direction of the anomaly.

"Yeah, it was probably Piccolo training, why?"

Gohan shook his head, focusing back on the man.

"It wasn't, it didn't have his ki signature. It's something I've never felt before." Gohan said, not bothering to tell him that it didn't _have_ a ki signature.

"I wasn't really paying attention to it." Krillin replied, his brow furrowing as he scanned in the direction of the city.

"I'm going to check it out." Gohan said quickly, leaping into the air and taking off. He still kept his power low, using only enough to sustain flight.

"Gohan! Wait for me!" His friend said, flying off after him.

Soon he was beside the half-Saiyan, arms tightly at his sides. Gohan shot him a sideways glance, shaking ear length black hair away from his forehead.

"I think it's worse than that Krillin. I can't feel Piccolo's signature at all."

"Are you sure Gohan? The spike wasn't all that large, hardly enough to… harm Piccolo."

"I'm positive." Gohan said, powering up more and rocketing ahead. Soon Krillin had caught up again.

"When is your father supposed to be home?" He asked, raising his voice to be heard over the turbulent roar of their flight.

"In an hour or so. He just went to Kami's lookout for something, not sure what."

Krillin simply nodded, focusing on scanning the world below for the Namek.

* * *

Trunks stopped in mid swing, his sword parallel to the ground. Sweat beaded his forehead and brow, though he was breathing only marginally harder than normal. He had gotten up early, before the sun, to work on his sword techniques. This was the warm up for every day of training, in preparation of the androids arrival. He turned sideways, muscles loosening beneath his black tank top, and held the sword point down. The young man frowned, lavender shaded hair falling into his eyes from the wind.

He had never felt anything quite like that before, and for a moment it terrified him. The androids weren't scheduled to make an appearance on Earth for several months yet, but he wondered if somehow history had been changed. He had traveled back to this time to prepare the world for their arrival, but he knew nothing of the effect this could have on the world. Perhaps his very presence was enough to bring the androids down upon them early, before they were prepared. Fate had a way of trying to reassert itself to the path it had originally taken. If the androids were destined to win, fate might be stepping in to make sure that it happened just that way.

The energy he felt certainly didn't belong to the androids he knew, which took an edge off of his fear. Trunks closed his eyes, trying to place the ki he had felt. It was so familiar, yet the origin of it eluded his mind. He had felt it hundreds of times before, but for some reason could not place it. He did know, however, that it was none of the other warriors, which was cause for alarm.

Perhaps another threat had been brought down on the Earth, perhaps to weaken its guardians for an easier conquest when the androids did come. Trunks didn't know, but he had every intention of finding out. Sheathing his blade over his shoulder, the Saiyan took off into the sky. The energy had come from near the city, perhaps even inside of it. It was a short flight from his location, but even so, Trunks shot through the sky as fast as he was able.

Trees swayed in the warrior's wake as he tore past them, the long grass fifty feet below him parting. He weaved around several taller trees, closing the distance to the city in less than five minutes, and slowing as he reached its limits. Trunks ascended then, clearing the buildings with as much room as he felt comfortable with. He didn't want to be caught without an escape route should he be attacked. Normally, fleeing from battle was something the teenager would have never considered. But if it truly was the androids that had arrived on the planet, he was no match for them alone. The Earth might still be doomed, even with her combined Saiyan might.

Trunks cruised above the city, not bothering to hide his power. If anybody had been paying attention, they surely would have felt his approach, and dropping off of the radar now would be rather pointless. Besides, he wanted to be fully prepared for an attack. Trunks dropped in altitude, as the surrounding structures shortened. He was in a commercial district, mostly shopping marts and other stores.

The half-Saiyan dropped further, slipping underneath a walking bridge that spanned a city street. Below him, a man walked with his young daughter. His hair was far too full in mass, thick black curls obscuring everything below his ears from behind. He was caught up reading a magazine, talking happily to himself and laughing heartily. The young girl, however, noticed Trunks immediately. She turned her head, long black hair in pigtails. She couldn't have been older than eight, from the look of her, though her eyes were more focused than most children Trunks had seen. She stared up at him calmly, not pointing or dropping her jaw as Trunks was used to when seen by children. She merely tugged on her father's sleeve, and spoke.

"Dad, look."

"Not now sweetie, don't you see Daddy is reading." The man's gruff voice replied; buried in what Trunks now noticed to be a martial arts magazine.

He flew on, rising again above the buildings, and making a quick direction change to the north. Trunks intended to do a few fly bys, hoping to pick up that ki signature again, before going in search of the others.

He flew past an apartment building, a woman standing on a balcony and gently rocking her baby back and forth. He passed over a park, several young children laughing and playing. He came to Orange Star High School, and saw two teenagers skipping class, sitting on the roof. The boy wore plan slacks, and a white shirt. He had short black hair and eyes that almost looked unfocused. He stared out across the expanse of the city, only glancing at Trunks for a second, holding hands with the other student on the roof, who was surely his girlfriend. She had long, flowing black hair, and wore pants and a tight fitting shirt. Her brown eyes followed Trunks as he cruised past, locking with his for a moment. He smiled, silently noting that she was very attractive, before continuing on.

Then he saw Gohan and Krillin, flying right toward him. Krillin waved enthusiastically, and the three of them met atop a newspaper office. Trunks landed with a light thump, the other two warriors coming down in front of him.

"Trunks, did you feel it too?" Krillin asked, referring to the mysterious ki.

"Yes. I've never felt anything like it."

Krillin rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"Is it them? The ones you told us about?" Gohan asked, scanning the city.

Trunks sighed, crouching at the side of the roof and staring out.

"I don't know for sure, but I don't think so. I don't remember any of them that felt that way. It is familiar though, but I can't place it."

"Trunks, I can't sense Piccolo anymore…" Gohan said quietly, turning back. Trunks could see the growing sadness in his eyes.

"Let's keep looking. I don't know what's going on, but we need to find out. Meet me back here in half an hour, and if we haven't found anything we'll go and get the others."

Krillin nodded, and Gohan took off from the roof without a word. Krillin followed, shouting for Gohan to wait. Trunks waited a few more moments, and leapt from the roof, taking off in a surge of visible ki. He glanced back at the school, noticing that the couple had apparently slipped back inside. For not the first time, Trunks wished his life could be as simple as skipping class and teenage love.

* * *

Skimming the outskirts of the city, Gohan and Krillin searched for Piccolo. Gohan had given up on keeping his ki low, deciding that it didn't matter if his mother could sense him now, as he was beyond her wrath, or so he hoped. He needed speed and maneuverability in this situation, more than stealth. It had also unnerved him to know that Trunks had been almost maxed out, as if ready to be attacked at any moment. The young Saiyan boy flew lower, moving in between two buildings and turning toward the outer limits of the city, Krillin following closely behind.

"It doesn't make sense Gohan. That spike I felt, there's no way it was powerful enough to seriously hurt Piccolo."

"Maybe," Gohan said calmly, glancing back. "It wasn't meant to harm."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, maybe it was like my dad's instant transmission. Maybe someone used an attack to send Piccolo to another world. It would be much easier than fighting him, and it explains why I can't feel his signature."

"Hmm… maybe." Krillin said, frowning. "Let's make another pass."

Krillin went vertical, ascending quickly into the air. Gohan followed suit, swinging up in a burst of energy. The two warriors climbed higher into the air, hoping to get a better view of the city and surroundings. Out of the corner of his eye, Gohan noticed something he had missed before.

"Krillin, look!" He shouted, coming to an abrupt halt. Krillin did the same, turning to look where Gohan was pointing. From their altitude, the destruction was just visible. About ten miles out, the entire valley East of the city had been decimated.

"Whoa!" Krillin exclaimed, shooting a look at Gohan.

"Let's go." Gohan said quietly, taking off toward the clearing, as dirt still settled back toward the earth.

The two fighters shot across the expanse between them and the clearing, leaving a trail of ki in their wake. It didn't take long to reach the outer edge of the destroyed meadow, and leave behind all sounds of life. They saw the source of the destruction immediately, and came to a halt.

"That looks like…" Krillin began, only to be cut off.

"Look! There!" Gohan shouted, pointing down at the humanoid figure lying face down in the dirt. He dropped hard and fast, rocketing forward again before hitting the ground, and kicking up an insane amount of dirt behind him. Krillin dropped as well, though hetook a slower approach. He was aware that they might still be in danger. Gohan skidded to a stop next to his old mentor, dropping immediately to his knees. A split second later, Krillin landed lightly behind him.

"Is he…?"

Gohan looked down at Piccolo's still form, and could still feel no evidence of his ki signature. But he saw a breath. Had it been his imagination? He kept watching, and saw another shallow breath.

"He's alive!" Gohan shouted, rolling the Namek onto his back. "But he's very weak."

Piccolo's eyes were closed, his face calm and still. His cloak had been torn off of his body, lying several feet away. Other than that, however, there was no evidence of an attack. There were no energy burns on his body, and no evidence of physical blows.

"I don't understand. He doesn't look hurt at all." Krillin said, puzzled.

Gohan merely shook his head, gathering up his mentor's cloak and draping it over his chest.

"Let's get him back to my house. Maybe my dad will know what to do."

* * *

"Did you feel that?" Goku asked, his head snapping toward the surge of energy he felt. The Saiyan moved quickly to the side of the lookout's main platform, staring down toward the Earth. A moment later Kami, and Dende, stood beside him.

"Strange. It wasn't one of our people." Dende said, looking up at the elder Namek to confirm this.

"No, definitely not. I've never felt ki like that before." Kami said with a smile, though it was forced.

Goku turned back to his friends, worry creasing his brow.

"You don't think those androids could be here already, do you?"

"I don't know. I truly hope not." Kami replied.

The Saiyan warrior turned back, raising his right hand slowly to his head.

"I need to get home. Thank you for the gift!" Goku smiled over his shoulder at them, patting the small package tucked into the waistband of his red gi.

Holding two fingers directly in front of his right eyebrow, Goku focused his ki, and worked his energy outward. He scanned the world below, searching for an acceptable target. He had hoped to catch Gohan's ki, focus on it, and teleport straight to his son. He could sense that the boy was at home, but his power had been lowered to such a degree that he wasn't a suitable host. So Goku was forced to expand his search, taking in the miles of land around his home. After a moment he caught onto the signature of Trunks, who was nearly at full power and standing at a high altitude. Then the world exploded into light.

In the space of a single thought, Goku's body dematerialized from Kami's home, and appeared in front of Trunks. The teen didn't looked surprised, only nodded curtly as Goku fully settled into his body once more, lowering his hand and focusing intently on the half-Saiyan.

"What's going on Trunks?"

"I take it you noticed the energy spike?"

"Yeah, what was it?"

Trunks crossed his arms, turning to look out across the city. The two of them were standing atop a tall structure, what looked as though it were an office building.

"I have no idea. Gohan and Krillin sensed it too, and came in search of the source. The three of us split up to look, but I didn't find anything. That was maybe a half hour ago. They're supposed to meet me here."

"It took awhile for me to sense it… I wonder why?" Goku said quietly, looking skyward. "Gohan went back to my house, and I'm sure Krillin's with him. We should head back there, maybe they found something."

Trunks nodded solemnly, taking off in the direction of the house at an almost reckless speed. Goku leapt after him, cruising half again as fast to catch up. He didn't understand such a need for speed, but if Trunks thought it was necessary, Goku wouldn't argue it down. The boy had a good head on his shoulders, and knew what the androids that were destined to bear down upon the earth were capable of. If he was nervous enough to insist on such speed, Goku couldn't fight the logic of following his lead.

The two warriors tore through the sky, a crushing pressure trailing them as they flew. It took little time to cross the distance to the house, and both began to slow, swinging upright and dropping toward the ground. As they approached, Krillin ran outside, waving enthusiastically at his old friend. Goku smiled, in spite of the unease that had settled into his body. He landed with a thump, walking toward the front door.

"I'm glad you're here! We found Piccolo, and he's alive!" Krillin said, taking Goku by surprise. He had no idea that the Namek was even in danger, and even Kami hadn't sensed this.

Goku followed the shorter man into the house, moving quickly into their living room. Piccolo was resting on the sofa, arms crossed over his stomach. Gohan was sitting in a straight backed chair next to the couch, his mother standing next to him, a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. Goku walked up next to his wife, staring down at his somehow injured friend.

"What happened to him?"

"I dunno dad. We found him like this in a huge crater outside of town."

"Crater? There isn't a scratch on him." Goku said, glancing down at his son. Gohan just shook his head.

"There was a space pod dad; that made the crater. Whatever was in it must have attacked Piccolo."

Goku stood silent, brooding over his options. If the androids really had come, they might have gotten the drop on the powerful Namek, using surprise to take him out without a struggle. Having Piccolo down was a huge disadvantage, one that Goku didn't like if they truly were about to be fighting for their lives. So in the span of a few seconds, he had made his decision.

"I'm going to go back and get Dende. Wait here for me."

"Okay." Gohan said, his eyes focused on the unconscious fighter. Goku turned, striding quickly out of the room. He passed Trunks, who acknowledged him with a slight nod again, before leaning back against the wall.

Goku took off the second he had left the house, forcing himself skyward as fast as he could, toward Kami's lookout once more. He hoped he would make it back home in time, and that there would still be a home to make it back to.

* * *

**A/N **

Author's Note: Chapter one, and I hope you enjoy it. I suppose I should explain a bit. This story takes place after Trunks and Goku's arrival on Earth, but before the Androids have arrived. Any ideas yet about the identity of the mysterious aliens? Androids? Maybe? Let me know what you think. And did anybody notice the cameo appearance I threw into this chapter? I'm not sure how often Goku can use instant transmission, but if it's infinite, whichI don't think it is, then we'll just say he couldn't get a suitable lock on Kami or Dende.


	3. Space Invaders

**Chapter Two: Space Invaders**

* * *

"_Please… stop…" Trunks pleaded, struggling to breathe._

_She simply smiled that smile of hers, pressing her foot down harder. Trunks cried out in pain, the heel of her right foot forcing the remaining air out of his lungs. Tears formed in his eyes, as he stared up into the bright, intense blue that was the android's eyes. He cried silently, without the oxygen to give voice to his choked sobs. His hands feebly tried to push her weight from his stomach, as the boy's vision began to grow fuzzy. Darkness crept up into his eyes, threatening to overwhelm him._

_Then the pressure released, and he could breathe. The boy took in three gasping breaths before her foot was back, torturing already exhausted lungs. Trunks stared up at her, trying with renewed vigor to get her off of him._

"_Look at this, the boy has developed some spunk."_

"_Why… why do you do this…?" Trunks asked between shallow breaths._

"_Because, child, I love it. I live for this." She said with a grin, rocking her weight down onto him even more, forcing Trunks to cry out._

_It was his own fault. Gohan told him not to go, that he wasn't strong enough to help. But he couldn't just stand by and let them run rampant. He just _couldn't_. So he went after the woman by himself, hoping he could at least divert her from her destructive path. He had succeeded in that aspect, but now would fail to save his own self. She had made short work of him, thrashing the young Saiyan as though he were blind, deaf, and crippled. She left him bloody and beaten on the ground, and now was forcing the very air he breathed away from him, because he wanted to save people. And now it seemed as though he would die for his empathy. _

_His vision began to go black again, and this time Trunks didn't fight it. Perhaps dying wouldn't be so bad, if it would only relieve him of the pain, which he now was privy to. It surely would be better than his life here, now. It had to be. _

_He didn't die. He was saved. A surge of energy swelled up near him, the slowly suffocating boy sensing it in the back of his mind as he saw the android spin. Her eyes were wild and angry, scanning the immediate area in hopes of spotting the attack. She succeeded, sidestepping the blast at the last possible moment._

"_He's just a boy damn you!" A loud voice resonated near him._

_Trunks saw a foot as it slammed into her body, sending the deadly woman flying through the air in the wake of the distracting energy blast. Trunks heard the impact as she smashed into some random building or structure, though he hardly cared. He could breathe, but for a moment didn't bother too. He was so resigned to his fate, so ready to die, that to live was almost unthinkable._

_Gohan's worried face brought him slowly out of his inner darkness. The man knelt over him, cupping Trunks' head in both hands and speaking quietly to him. He couldn't feel his body, or his mind, all becoming numb. But eventually, he could hear again, and felt the half-Saiyan lift him slowly up._

"_Come on kid, we're getting out of here." Gohan said as he stood, preparing to fly off._

_He was kicked in the head before he had the chance. Trunks fell, smashing both knees painfully onto the pavement as Gohan was sent sprawling onto the ground. The man rolled to his feet quickly; in a stance that enabled him to block all three of the android's follow up attacks. The fourth one got inside of his guard, and knocked the man back, setting him up for another combination of attacks. The android came at him in a cold rage, slamming her fists and feet against his jerking form. Finally she spun, putting the heel of her right foot into the side of his head, and sending Gohan rocketing into the remains of a super market._

_Trunks gave up on balancing on his knees, falling forward to grip the rocks in front of him and keep from face planting. He stared down at the stones, breathing deeply._

I don't understand. Why do they do it? What is the point? We didn't do anything to them! Why won't they leave us…

"I believe we were in the middle of something." Came a feminine voice near him, stones crunching under her feet as she approached.

_Trunks simply stared down, his confusion growing into seething anger. He gripped the stones tighter, knuckles scraping against the cracked pavement. The anger burned hotter, working outward from the inner reaches of his being. He began to tremble; the burning sensation working it's way into his blood and outward into the furthest reaches of his small body. Trunks felt the ground below him buckle, as his knees sank deeper into the concrete. He continued to stare down, noticing several small stones lifting from the ground around his closes fists._

I won't lose again. I won't!

_With that thought, his vision began to go white, power surging deep within, and surfacing quickly. He felt the energy swirl around him, coating the boy's body in a seething red hue. With a final surge of explosive new energy, Trunks' vision went pearl, the world vanishing for a moment in a flash of white light. When he regained his sight, he felt stronger than he ever had before, and saw the top of the android's foot as it came up fast toward his chin. He didn't try to get out of the way, or even move with the blow. He simply took it in the chin, the android's attack stopping as soundly as if he had blocked it with a railroad tie. He slowly raised his face, focusing both eyes on the face of his enemy._

_She was all he could see. The entire world has vanished, with the exception of that one entity. That one target. Trunks felt a smile slide up his blood caked face, and he knew why the android looked so shocked and nervous._

_She was looking into eyes that no longer held any human resemblance, only an endless white._

"Trunks… hey?" Gohan said quietly, drawing the half-Saiyan back into the world of the waking.

His eyes shot open, and for a moment Trunks saw only white, before his energy level plummeted, and his eyes returned to normal. He was breathing shallowly, and distantly heard the sound of several various articles around the room fall back into place as he powered down. He looked over at the boy who had drawn him out of his stupor, smiling frowning.

"Are you okay Trunks?" Krillin asked, standing near the couch on which Piccolo still rested.

Trunks shook himself inwardly, moving away from where he had been leaning on the wall. The dream was so vivid, even after so long, as was the memory that sparked it. He remembered the day, remembered powering up, but remembered nothing more. There was a pure blinding light, and the next thing he knew he awoke in a bed, Gohan and his mother talking in low voices. Gohan saw it all, and didn't know what to think. That was all Trunks had heard about the day, as both of them dropped it when he showed the first signs of rousing. Since then he didn't dwell on the events of that day, and had even dismissed his surge in power as unlocking some of the potential trapped within him. He had felt stronger after that day, which only helped to build on this.

But why am I thinking about it now? I almost lost it for a moment there… 

Trunks looked over at several of the items he had been levitating, as he walked the line of his Saiyan heritage.

"I need to get my father." Trunks said suddenly, before he even understood why. It only took him a moment to understand it. Something told him that they would need Vegeta, whether it was the androids or some new threat.

Without another word, Trunks made his way out of the house, and took off into the sky.

He flew for several minutes in silence, his mind reeling over the detail in his dream. He never had such a vivid recollection of the events of that day, down to the end. In fact, he was almost certain that he didn't remember anything past falling out of Gohan's arms before. Perhaps, he thought, the rest would come to him.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, flying in the direction his father was located, he didn't even have time to defend himself against the swift attack. A knee connected solidly with his stomach, sending Trunks higher into the air. Not a split second later he was hit painfully in the lower back, throwing his body quickly to the earth. The half-Saiyan caught himself at the last moment, landing in a crouch. Both of his eyes shot up, taking in an unfamiliar suit of armor on a feminine body.

"I'm afraid the Prince has to fight his own battle." She said, smiling.

* * *

Gohan was resting his head on the end of the couch when he felt the second energy spike, which caused him to jump immediately to his feet. The boy spun, as Krillin ran in from the kitchen.

"Let's go." They said at the same time, before sprinting toward the front door.

Once outside both warriors took to the sky, lowering their power level. Speed was off the essence in this situation, if they were to catch the source of the energy before it slipped by again, but so was the possible element of surprise.

"Gohan, you take the lead. You're better at sensing this than I am." Krillin said, falling slightly back.

They tore through the sky, Gohan calculating in his head how far the surge had been. It wasn't far, and in the direction that Trunks has flown off into. This fact left a bad taste in Gohan's mouth, after seeing the condition Piccolo was in. It brought to mind all of the scary movies he had ever seen, about alien body snatchers and vampire lawyers. On top of that, Gohan had his real life experiences with monsters that were ten times worse than anything a bad B Movie could come up with. He silently hoped that Trunks was okay.

Willing himself ahead faster, Trunks sensed the unclaimed energy signature again, further east. He altered course to compensate, speeding up. They were gaining, and Gohan was shocked to realize they were heading toward Capsule Corps Co., where Bulma currently took residence. His worry gave way quickly, however, as Gohan felt a new ki signature, one he had never noticed before, on a man who stood on the ground right in front of him.

Gohan dropped fast, landing with a dull thump onto the grass. Krillin was right behind him, hitting the ground and going directly into a fighting stance. They stared at the mysterious man, taking in his features and clothing. He wasn't too tall, maybe an inch or too higher than Vegeta, and slimly muscled. His night black hair shot up perhaps two inches above his face, swaying gently in the wind. The man's face was cold and stoic, his eyes a dark unfathomable shade of blue. His facial structure looked vaguely familiar, though Gohan couldn't quite place it. He looked at the two warriors with no seeming alarm, as if he had been expecting them, and from the way he was dressed, he had been.

He was wearing a suit of combat armor that Gohan had never seen before. The chest plate resembled the light type of armor that Vegeta had picked up on Namek, but ended there. The entire suit was black, trimmed in silver and blue, and hugged his body tight. He wore a pair of black gloves on arms crossed in front of his chest, and a pair of black boots. Gohan felt fear slowly creep up inside of him as he watched the man. As far as he knew, the only warriors who wore armor that even resembled that were the members of Frieza's army. The fact that his was so different only made Gohan more worried.

"Where's Kakarot?" The man asked calmly, his dark eyes glaring into Gohan's.

"Wh… what do you want with him?"

"Listen, boy, your father and I have business together. Go and fetch him."

Gohan felt his anger spike. He despised being talked down to, especially the derogatory term of boy. He focused on the mysterious man, reading his ki for the first time. He was happy to notice that it had a definite signature, dispelling any thoughts that this man was responsible for Piccolo's current state. The warrior made no attempt to hide his power, which was near its max. Either he didn't know how, or felt that the low ki that emanated from the two in front of him would make them intimidated. Gohan felt something else, however, that he could not discern. It felt as though this man was in fact hiding something deep within, though it wasn't intentional. There seemed to be incredible potential locked within him, that he had yet to realize.

"Now, child." He said, his face remaining cold and angry.

"Ha, listen to this guy Gohan." Krillin said, sticking his thumb out at the man. "Our power level combined is almost twice his, and _he's_ demanding things from _us_?"

"Krillin… what are you doing?" Gohan asked quietly, shooting a look toward his friend.

"What? We can take this guy Gohan." He said with a grin, turning back to the man. "Hey, moron, Goku wouldn't waste his time with someone like you. So why don't you just hop into your little space pod, and fly back to Uranus or wherever it is you come from."

"You'll regret such harsh words." He replied, turning sideways and extending one hand toward Krillin.

Immediately a ki blast ripped from his hand, without the normal necessary charge time required for its mass and volume, and Gohan knew they were in deep trouble. He felt no signature in the blast, only the same spike in energy he had felt before. He leapt in front of his friend, as Krillin's eyes went wide. Both hands extended out in front of him, Gohan planted his feet, bending at the knees. He created the shield with hardly a thought, years of practice and a fighter's instincts taking over. The partially transparent blue wall of ki appeared in front of the both of them, just as the ball of energy struck it. Gohan was forced backwards, and felt Krillin helping him stay based with both hands on his back. The blast was deflected, flying high into the air and behind them. Gohan let the shield down, readying himself for any follow-up attack that the man should decide to implement.

There wasn't one. The man stood in the same position he had been originally, glaring defiantly at them. Gohan took a deep breath, trying to find some method for escape. He knew that they were in way above their heads, trying to fight him. They needed Goku. Krillin, however, had yet to realize this.

"You arrogant, smug prick!" He shouted, leaping over Gohan and rocketing toward the man.

They met in a flurry of attacks, which ended before Gohan could even offer assistance. Krillin threw several punches at the man, all of which he efficiently dodged. Finally, when Krillin's combo left him at the most vulnerable, he attacked back. One hand wrapped tightly around Krillin's wrist, as a fist struck him hard in the chest. The small man flew back, and was swung around by the grip on his arm. The man spun the opposite direction, letting go in the same moment. He continued the rotation, slamming the heel of his boot against Krillin, and sending him flying back. His body bounced twice, and then Krillin got his footing and continued sliding back in a crouch.

Before he could even stop the slide, the man was on him again. A solid knee to the stomach rose Krillin into the air, pushing him into an elbow poised above his head. The force knocked him back down into the man's right knee again, which this time smashed into his chin. This rocked Krillin's head back, as the man spun, and kicked him squarely in the stomach. The smaller man flew back, coming to an abrupt stop against a thick tree; a spider web of cracks moving out through the bark.

This sent Gohan into action. With a shout of anger he leapt at the man, swinging the top of his right foot around hard at his head. The man blocked it with his wrist, slamming the open palm of his other hand against Gohan's chest. Gohan was knocked back, but kept himself upright to land on the ground in a crouch.

"You should have gone for Kakarot, boy."

Gohan growled deep in his throat, opening the internal valves to increase his ki. After a quick surge of power, he went at the man again, hoping for more success. He threw several quick punches, which were all parried or quickly dodged by his enemy. Gohan touched the ground, leaping up and driving both feet down at the man. They got inside of his guard, striking the armor of his breastplate and sending Gohan upward, which had had planned on. As soon as he had enough clearance, the boy moved both hands behind his head, and quickly transferred a sufficient amount of energy into his clasped hands.

"Masenko, ha!" He shouted roughly, swinging his hands swiftly down in front him and letting the blast fly. It was about seven feet from him and the man, which increased as the ki energy pushed Gohan further into the air. The impact was almost instantaneous, a concentrated explosion kicking up a cloud of dust and dirt. Gohan flew higher, scanning the ground for the other warrior. He saw no evidence of him, but knew that the man couldn't have been killed. Gohan focused his senses outward, feeling for the warrior, and found that he was close. He looked up, scanning the sky somewhat higher up.

He found the warrior floating casually above him, staring down with the same cold expression. He hadn't been touched by the blast.

"I've always liked that technique of yours."

_What does that mean?_

Gohan stared up at him, breathing steadily. This man, the mysterious alien who looked so much like a Saiyan yet had a signature that Gohan was slowly beginning to identify as far from that, had him completely outclassed. Every second they fought, Gohan could feel the untapped power deep inside the man slowly growing, becoming stronger. The man hadn't lowered his power level, but it was still lower than Gohan's alone. Not much, at the current level Gohan was at, and the demi-Saiyan was barely at seventy-five percent of his potential. But the man fought with speed and skill that seemed to multiply his energy by ten. Coupled with the unique, unclaimed ki that he somehow released, Gohan knew he couldn't beat this man alone.

He needed his father.

* * *

Author's Note: And thus we meet the enemy. For the record, in Trunks' flashback he did NOT go SSJ1. It'll be explained in time, I promise. I'll give you a clue; another Saiyan has done something similar in a DBZ Movie. What do you think? A somewhat short chapter, but the next one heats up a lot. R/R! 


End file.
